Sunshine Coast musicians have been left “devastated” after iconic Brisbane music venue The Zoo announced it will permanently close after 32 years.

Owners say the venue has been running at a loss for more than three years, citing the rising cost of living as the final straw.

The Zoo will shut its doors on July 8, with sister venue Stranded Bar to close this Monday.

Powderfinger drummer and Peregian resident Jon Coghill says it’s a “sad day” for music lovers.

“What a sad day that such an amazing live music venue is closing,” Jon says.

“The Zoo was a fireplace started by Jock and Cee that helped spark so many successful Brisbane band’s careers.

“It’s the place that Brisbane first saw Regurgitator smash out their unique amalgamation of punk, hip hop and pop.

“Martin, Quan and Ben were in their element, as was the tiny, dedicated crowd of indie diehards. The ‘Squeaky Chair Song’ is one that will be long remembered to those who were there.

“I saw Ben Harper play an epic rock show there one afternoon when he first came to Australia.

“The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion exploded on another night. So many legendary bands and so many etched memories.

“Thanks to all who gave the Zoo life and in turn gave Brisbane music a new life.”

Singer-songwriter Hayden Hack says it’s “super sad” to lose another institution.

“I loved playing there with Highlife back in 2014/15. The closure really shows what the current climate is like.

“Supporting live music is paramount in ensuring this doesn’t keep happening.”

Gold Coast music agency Beats Cartel says it’s “devastating news”.

“Small to mid cap venues ARE IN TROUBLE. Never been a harder time to run a low cap venue with 200% increase in costs and 50% decrease in expected heads with a halved average head spend even when people do come,” they posted on social media.

“Support your scene / Lobby to those who will listen. We’re heading for a future without grassroots band support, the building blocks of the Australian Music industry.”

Screamfeeder says model is ‘broken’

Another Brisbane band Screamfeeder, made famous in the 90s at The Zoo, says tickets to their upcoming show at Stranded Bar can be refunded via Oztix.

The indie-pop group issued a statement saying they are “heartbroken” for the venue workers.

“As devastating as this is for us, it must be even more heartbreaking for the owners, past and present, and the staff at Brisbane’s iconic venue The Zoo (big sister venue to Stranded).

“They have been forced to close due to financial issues, cited as being directly linked to the whole country’s cost-of-living crisis and people drinking less, which we get; who wants to spend $12 on a beer especially when the cost of rent, fuel, food and not to mention concert tickets are spiraling out of control.

“The model is broken.

“We played the Zoo’s opening party, and have probably played there every year we’ve been a band. Our hearts go our to Joc and C, the original visionaries who first braved the Valley and opened the venue in 1992.

“Support independent venues who don’t charge you an hour’s pay for a beer. Support bands who try to keep ticket prices down by going to gigs when you can, and buying merch.

“Rock n roll is best when it’s up against it. The time is now. Re-invent. Grass-roots. Alternative venues. DIY. Vive le [punk] Rock~!

“Don’t worry about us; we’ll be back with something soon, we will play our own show in Brisbane this year.

“In the meantime you can catch us at Stones Corner Festival 2024 | Brisbane this Sunday, we play a 50 minute set at 7.30pm.

“Our MELBOURNE gigs next week are still on! Please come!”

The Zoo releases statement on the closure

Punters woke to the news on Wednesday morning with The Zoo releasing this statement on social media.

“As passionate music fans and proud members of the community, it’s impossibly hard to share the news that after nearly 32 years of live music, The Zoo will be closing its doors on July 8th 💔

“Sadly, the financial reality of keeping music venues afloat in 2024 is all too stark. The Zoo reached its highest ticket sales in its 32-year history last year, yet this was still not enough to combat rising operational costs, and decreasing returns.

“As a music venue, we try our best to keep venue hire costs as low as possible for artists and promoters, which means that the financial risks are on the venue, and we depend on bar sales for profit. The cost of supplying alcohol is rising, and bar sales are going down, likely due to a mix of lifestyle changes and cost of living stress for our patrons.

“The hard truth is that we’ve been running at a loss for over 3 years. Despite exploring every avenue available to us, we could not secure the level of support needed to surmount the continued financial strain. We have no choice but to call last drinks for both of our beloved music venues.

“Our sister venue Stranded will also be wrapping up, ceasing trade on Monday May 6th…

“To our loyal punters and past performers, we thank you for the great times we’ve shared; the decades of dancing, singing and moshing. The kindness of our community of music lovers is a gift The Zoo team has cherished.

“We hope you’ll continue to support local live music and keep the scene alive in Brisbane and nationwide.

“We encourage you to advocate for live music, to implore our government and music bodies to do everything they can to prevent more venues from closing their doors due to the industry-wide financial pressure that is decimating venues across the country.

“We hope you’ll join us for one last dance over the next few months. We want to make the last shows very special and will be looking to add extra shows while we can!

“If you have purchased tickets to shows that are outside the closure dates, we’ll be in contact soon.

“Love from The Zoo Fam xx”